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Dallas Biker Opened Fire in Waco Shootout: Police

The leader of the Dallas County Bandidos motorcycle gang opened fire on rival bikers at a shootout in Waco last month, police claim in newly-released court documents. (Published Thursday, June 18, 2015)

The leader of the Dallas County Bandidos motorcycle gang opened fire on rival bikers at a shootout in Waco last month, police claim in newly-released court documents.

David Martinez, 45, pulled out a 32-caliber pistol, started shooting, and then hid the weapon in the back of someone else's car, police said.

A search of his motorcycle later found a Glock 40-caliber handgun with a box of bullets, police said.

Martinez is charged with engaging in organized criminal activity and was released from jail on $1 million bond.

Texas Biker Gang Mug Shots

Even though the court records claim Martinez led the Dallas County Bandidos, jail records show he is from Terrell, which is in Kaufman County.

Martinez could not be reached for comment.

The allegations came in court documents which police filed to seize Martinez's motorcycle and 26 other vehicles.

The same court documents outline months of growing squabbles between the Bandidos and the Cossacks.

A police detective detailed six violent incidents in the months leading to the shootout in Abilene, Palo Pinto County, Waco and nearby Lorena involving the two biker groups.

NBC 5 previously reported on a fatal shooting at a Fort Worth bar which also was linked to the two gangs.

The Bandidos were angry at the Cossacks for wearing a Texas insignia on their jackets and planned a meeting with other biker groups in Waco, police said.

The Cossacks were not invited but showed up anyway, taking over parts of the Twin Peaks restaurant and lining the parking lot with sentries, or lookouts, police said.

"Cossacks threatened that Waco was a 'Cossacks' town' and nobody else could ride there," the investigator wrote. "The large number of Bandidos and their supporters showed up … because the Bandidos wanted to have a show of force and make a statement that Waco was not the Cossacks' 'town.'"

A Bandido ran over the foot of a rival biker and the tensions quickly escalated, police said.

"Several of the Cossacks pulled their weapons, including handguns, as they stood on the patio and exited the patio," the detective wrote. "Several Bandidos and Cossacks pulled out guns and knives and shot and stabbed each other."

Officers recovered 480 weapons and detained 239 people. Of them, 177 were arrested. Many have since been released on bond.